BELGIAN INSTITUTE FOR POSTAL SERVICES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATION BY THE BIPT COUNCIL OF 24 JANUARY 2017 REGARDING COMMUNICATION ON BOARD SEAGOING VESSELS IN THE 457.5125-457.5875 MHZ AND 467.5125-467.5875 MHZ FREQUENCY BANDS Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications Ellipse Building - Building C - Koning Albert II-laan 35-1030 Brussels Tel. 02 226 88 88 Fax 02 226 88 77 http://www.bipt.be
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Background... 3 2. Use allowed in Belgium... 4 3. ETSI standard.... 5 4. Licensing situation... 5 2
1. Background The ITU 1 Radio Regulations stipulate in footnote RR5.287 that the 457.5125-457.5875 MHz and 467.5125-467.5875 MHz frequency bands may be used for communication on board seagoing vessels. According to that footnote the characteristics of this equipment correspond with Recommendation ITU-R M.1174-3. That footnote was changed at the 2015 World Radio Conference (WRC- 15). That same footnote states that the use of these frequencies in territorial waters and in seaports is subject to the national regulations of the country in question to which these territorial waters or seaports belong. The 450-470 MHz band is used in Belgium for landmobile applications, often for applications with a certain safety hasard (e.g. railways). In the past interferences on these landmobile applications have been observed on several occasions. This communication aims to throw some light on which of the above-mentioned frequencies may be used in the Belgian territorial waters and in the Belgian seaports. Moreover, this communication contains information on the licence required for this equipment when used for communication on board seagoing vessels. It is BIPT s recommendation to acquire digital equipment with a 6.25 khz channel spacing. 1 International Telecommunication Union. This is a United Nations Organisation with headquarters in Geneva. Belgium is a member. 3
2. Use allowed in Belgium The frequencies in the following table are allowed for communication purposes on board seagoing vessels in the Belgian territorial waters and in the Belgian seaports: 25 khz channel 12.5 khz channel 6.25 khz channel 25 khz channel 12.5 khz channel 6.25 khz channel CH MHz CH MHz CH MHz CH MHz CH MHz CH MHz 102 457.515625 202 467.515625 1 457.525 11 457.5250 111 457.521875 211 467.521875 4 467.525 21 467.5250 112 457.528125 212 467.528125 12 457.5375 121 457.534375 122 457.540625 22 467.5375 221 467.534375 222 467.540625 2 457.550 13 457.5500 131 457.546875 231 467.546875 5 467.550 23 467.5500 132 457.553125 232 467.553125 14 457.5625 141 457.559375 142 457.565625 24 467.5625 241 467.559375 242 467.565625 3 457.575 15 457.5750 Table 1 151 457.571875 251 467.571875 6 467.575 25 467.5750 152 457.578125 252 467.578125 161 457.584375 261 467.584375-6 channels are possible in case of a 25 khz channeling arrangement, 10 channels in case of a 12.5 khz channeling arrangement and 24 channels based on a 6.25 khz channeling arrangement. - As this band is released for this application in Belgium from 1 July 2017, these communications can no longer cause direct interference with other radio services. Consequently, as from 1 July 2017, these frequencies may be used for communication purposes on board seagoing vessels in territorial waters, in the Belgian seaports and on waterways leading towards the seaports (Gent-Terneuzen canal). In the future, none of these frequencies will be assigned to landmobile or other services that are liable to cause interference to or experience interference from communication on board seagoing vessels. - The power allowed does not exceed 2 watts of effective radiated power. In case the equipment is installed at a fixed location on a ship, the antenna height must not exceed 3.5 metres above the level of the upper deck. - Use of the frequencies is allowed for both simplex and duplex. In case a repeater station is used on board a vessel a 10 MHz duplex spacing needs to be observed and the terminal equipment needs to use the low channels for transmission. - This does not concern any exclusive use for a specific ship. Users should take account of the fact that other ships can also use those frequencies. 4
3. ETSI standard. ETSI 2 is currently developing a harmonised standard ETSI EN 300 720 V2.2.0 (2016-10) (Ultra- High Frequency (UHF) on-board vessels communications systems and equipment; Harmonised Standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the Directive 2014/53/EU). BIPT plans to publish a radio interface as soon as this standard has been finally approved. In the meantime the technical characteristics as mentioned in ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1174-3 have to be applied. 4. Licensing situation Equipment on board ships is, in principle, subject to licence according to Article 39, 1, of the Act of 13 June 2005 on electronic communications: Art. 39. 1. Nobody in the Kingdom is allowed to hold a radio communications transmitter and/or transceiver, or to install and operate a station or a non-public radio communications network on board a sea-going vessel, an inland navigation vessel, an aircraft or any other bearer subject to Belgian law without a written licence from the Institute. That licence is personal and can be withdrawn. - Foreign vessels are, as far as they hold a licence issued by the competent authority of the country where the ship is registered, exempt from licence in accordance with Annex 2 to the Royal Decree of 18 December 2009 on private radio communications and user rights for fixed networks and trunked networks: - No licence, as referred to in Article 39, 1 of the Act of 13 June 2005 on electronic communications, is needed for : - - 1 radio stations installed on board foreign vessels and aircraft, provided these radio stations are covered by a licence issued by the government of the country where the vessel or aircraft is registered; - For ships sailing under the Belgian flag the frequencies have to be mentioned on the BIPT licence. These licences can be obtained via the following e-mail address: BMR@bipt.be. Axel Desmedt Council Member Jack Hamande Council Member 2 European Telecommunications Standards Institute. 5
Luc Vanfleteren Council Member Michel Van Bellinghen Council Chairman 6